


Only your voice under the sea

by RiyelaAlelita



Category: Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius
Genre: Lasswell turns into a merman, Little Mermaid Elements, Love at First Sight, M/M, Merman Rain, Merman!AU, Mute Lasswell, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:07:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25227298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiyelaAlelita/pseuds/RiyelaAlelita
Summary: At the beach he often visits alone, one day Lasswell, prince of Hess, sees a merman sleeping there...and his eyes and heart are immediately captured by him, so much that he spends days looking for a way to meet him in the sea. But, when he finds one, not everything goes as planned...
Relationships: Lasswell/Rain (Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius)
Kudos: 8





	1. I - Encounter under the sun

That place never changed.  
No matter how many years, tides and waves passed, that small secluded beach, just a walk away from the castle, was always the same; only the shells and branches that the sea left on the sand were an exception.  
It was the perfect haven for Lasswell whenever he sought peace and silence out of the walls of his home, safe for few hours from his duties as the prince of Hess. A haven he discovered years ago and now he knew like the back of his hand.  
He took off his boots and walked slowly towards the sea, enjoying the warm feeling of the sand below his feet and between his toes while the breeze, though not strong, managed to throw his own long black hair in his face, persuading him to tie them up before continuing his walk.  
As always, nothing was out of the ordinary.  
He barely finished that thought when he suddenly came to a stop a few steps away from the sea and revised that last thought. Because that day, for the first time, there was indeed something different…no, _someone_ different: on the reefs that circled the beach a person was laying down with their eyes closed, seemingly asleep.  
Lasswell approached carefully, hand on the hilt of the sword he carried on his back, wondering who that could be: only few knew of that beach and none of them dared to venture there, knowing it to be a place where the prince wanted to be alone.  
Once he was near enough to have a better view of the intruder, the young man hid behind a rock. Not exactly the proper behavior for a prince and a swordsman like he was, but better safe than sorry in that kind of situation, where the other party was a total stranger. Not that there seemed to be anything dangerous at all about the boy in front of him: he was clearly taking a nap, with his arms crossed under his head and a content smile on his face; he didn’t wear any shirt to cover his perfect torso, with those well-defined muscles and lightly tanned skin…that, combined with his hair that seemed gold under the sun, made him a really good looking young man to the prince’s eyes.  
No, not just “good looking”… _“the most handsome young man he ever saw”_ was more like it.  
He shook his head: “Focus, Lasswell! He’s a stranger, you can’t lower your guard just because of his appearance!”  
But, really, it wasn’t that easy: nothing in that person made him feel unsafe; on the contrary, he felt quite attracted to him.  
He forced those thoughts out of his mind, examining the reefs around the boy to look for a weapon, something that could pose a threat…but he could find nothing, not even a wooden stick. He was really defenseless. And irresponsible. Even if there weren’t many monsters around, no one would ever think of wandering – and sleep – like that in the open, without a care in the world.  
Keeping studying that young man, his attention was then caught by what he was wearing: first the strange red accessory peeked out of his hair, then those red pants that reflected the light as if they were made of scales.  
“No, wait…”  
The prince squinted his eyes, then opened them wide with a gasp after realizing that those weren’t pants at all, but real scales covering his lower body below his waist, and it was a tail that sank in the water, not legs.  
“A merman?!”  
He heard of them, knew they existed, but he never expected to ever see one on the shores of Hess, sleeping as that one, and to be able to observe him for so long.  
Maybe because Lasswell’s gasp was louder than he thought, the merman suddenly woke up, revealing brilliant bluish-green eyes that scanned his surroundings for some instant before fixing on the rock the other was hiding behind  
He instinctively squatted down, but he feared it was useless: he was quite sure that he had been seen staring at the sleeping merman, and it was confirmed by the chuckle that followed, a sound so pleasant to hear that it warmed the prince’s heart.  
“What do I do now?” he wondered, embarrassed like he had never been: he was caught red handed while watching the merman and didn’t have any excuse for that; the fact that he enjoyed doing that only worsened the situation.  
When he managed to muster the courage to peek again over the rock, he was sure to find the reef empty, or the merman angry at him, maybe yelling. Instead, he saw him with a wide smile, shining like the sun. As their eyes met, he winked, then dived and disappeared under the sea, leaving Lasswell to deal with a racing heart and a blushing face that wasn’t entirely caused by the embarrassment.  
It took him a long while to calm down, and even longer to acknowledge what just happened to him.  
“So this is what is like when the lightning strikes…”

For the rest of the day, Lasswell couldn’t get the merman out of his mind, thinking over and over again about what happened that afternoon, and about every single detail of the boy, from his golden locks to the red, shining scales of his tail, from his green eyes to that smile too bright to be true…  
-You seem happier than usual today. Did something good happen?-  
His mother’s voice brought him back to the dinner he was having and to which he wasn’t paying attention at all. How long had he been spacing out? He could barely remember the taste of what he just ate.  
-Am I?-  
Was he being that obvious?  
-You’ve been smiling quite a lot since you came back to the castle, and you’re lost in your thoughts, I can see that.- queen Yona said again with a smile -So, won’t you tell us what happened?-  
“I saw a merman so handsome I fell for him first sight.”  
…there was no way he could say that aloud! It was something he could not tell anyone, not even his parents. Especially them!  
-No-nothing…I was just thinking…- he answered, but he knew he didn’t sound very convincing, and the blush he felt on his face wasn’t helpful.  
-Well, that doesn’t seem like “nothing”.- his father, king Rowen, said, staring at the son so intently that the prince could physically feel his piercing and clear eyes, blue as his own. As if he was trying to grasp what the young man was hiding.  
Lasswell felt torn: he wasn’t used to lying, nor he wanted to, but to tell them what really happened that afternoon seemed even worse. What should he do?  
In the end, after a few seconds of reflection, he decided and spoke, his voice trembling a little: -Today, at the beach, I…I saw something strange.-  
And this was part of the truth: a merman wasn’t a common sight at all!  
-Something strange? Like what?- the king asked, his interest piqued.  
Now came the moment of the lie, to see if what Lasswell invented could be convincing: -I-I don’t know… I saw it just for a moment…something red in the sea. I was thinking it could be some kind of monster. Or maybe just my mind playing tricks.-  
He hoped that his words were believable and that his parents wouldn’t ask him any more question.  
It turned out that he had been good enough and, luckily, they just glanced one another and didn’t inquire further.  
-It’s been quite some time since we saw monsters near our shores, I hope that was just a reflection on the water.- the king reasoned, appearing a little worried -Next time you go there be careful, Lasswell. You’re a really good swordsman, but I don’t want you to be in danger.-  
-I know, father. Don’t worry, I won’t look for trouble.- the prince assured, smiling at both him and his mother.  
For the rest of the dinner, they never went back on the topic and Lasswell couldn’t believe he managed to persuade his parents with that lie made up on the moment.  
“Did it really work?”  
He wasn’t completely sure: when he left the room he noticed the two of them chuckling briefly before discussing something in a low voice. Could it be that they saw through him?  
No, it couldn’t be: even if they knew he hadn’t spoke the truth, it was impossible for them to find out that what actually happened was that their only son had a huge crush on a merman he saw for a handful of minutes.  
“I hope I can see him again tomorrow…”


	2. II - Looking for a way

The merman wasn’t there the next day. Neither the day after, nor the following one. He never showed himself on that beach again and Lasswell’s desire to see him became stronger day by day.  
No, not just see: he wanted to meet him, talk to him, touch him…  
How was it possible to miss someone seen just once, whose name he didn’t even know, that much? He barely heard how his voice sounded, that one he laughed.  
Sometimes he even wondered if he really saw him or if that was just a dream, but he immediately shook those doubts out of his head whenever that happened: he didn’t want to believe that the one who made his heart beat that much was just a product of his mind.  
In the end, after a week passed without a trace of the merman, he couldn’t stand the wait anymore and decided to actively look for him.  
Where? Under the sea, obviously.  
How? That was a major problem: as a human, he couldn’t spend that much time in the water, searching the sea for one person.  
But maybe magic could help.  
He didn’t want to ask his grandmother – Hess’ greatest magician – nor any of the court mages, fearing that his parents might find out what he wanted to do.  
So he asked on the streets and looked for magic and alchemy shops, seeking someone able to give him the ability to breath underwater.  
His search didn’t last long: after just a couple of days someone directed him to a potionist that was said to work miracles, in the outskirts of the city.  
-Welcome.- a voice greeted Lasswell as soon as he entered the little shop -What kind of potion do you need?-  
Behind the counter, a young woman was looking at him with yellow eyes and a smile that seemed to tease him; her long pink hair cascaded untied at the sides of her pale face.  
Lasswell stared at her for some moment, dumbfounded: after what he heard about the mysterious potionist, he expected to find a shady old man running that shop; instead, the one he saw in front of him was a woman that could be just few years older than him.  
-Are you the potionist?- he asked once he recovered from the surprise.  
-You didn’t expect someone like me, right? No one ever does.- she shrugged -But yes. My name is Citra and I’m the potionist…well, actually my sister is…and I can sell you whatever you need. So, what are you looking for? Healing potions? Poison? A love filter?- she studied him, humming -Tho I don’t think you’d need that, I bet you stole way too many hearts.-  
The prince didn’t know how to respond to that, no one ever made a remark like that to him in his whole life; so he just glanced to his side, flushed.  
For an instant, he considered buying that love filter for the merman, to give him when they would finally meet…but discarded that idea immediately after, his whole being refusing to do something like that: what he wanted was to just meet him, the thought of making him falling in love never grazed his mine until that moment.  
And what meaning would a feeling born that way have? Was it worth?  
No, it was better to let everything go as it had to.  
-I was looking for something that could allow me to breath under water.- he explained when his mind calmed down.  
He wasn’t sure something like that even existed, but there was no reason not to try and ask when he already was there. He just hoped she didn’t inquire his reasons too much.  
-Now this is an odd request. No one ever asked me that. But I don’t think we… oh, wait!- she exclaimed, as if she suddenly remembered something -There should be one similar to that.-  
And disappeared through the door that led to the back, staying away just a couple of minutes before coming back with a little flask in her hand.  
-This should do.- Citra said, smiling -It’s something new, my sister finished this a couple of weeks ago. It can transform you into a merman.-  
Hearing that, Lasswell startled: that would be great, even better than just breathing under the sea! And maybe sounded a little too good to be true…  
-For real?- he asked, trying to calm down his excitement.  
She nodded: -Yes, for real. With this amount the effect should last seven days…more or less…the duration could vary from one person to another.-  
-And then I’ll turn back being human?-  
-Exactly. So you have about one week to explore the sea as much as you want.- the woman confirmed -So, what do you say? You want it?-  
That still sounded suspiciously good to the young man, but the desire to go and look for the merman that stole his heart too strong to reason with.  
-Ok, I’ll buy it.-  
“This might be the most impulsive thing I ever did in my whole life…”  
Few minutes later, he left the shop with the flask in one hand and a lot less gils in his pocket, but not before promising Citra to come back and inform her how the potion worked.  
“I must have lost my mind…” he thought for the umpteenth time in the last days, but he couldn’t stop a smile from appearing on his lips while imagining to, at last, meet the one he fell in love with.

Next day, Lasswell left the castle early in the afternoon, around the same hour he usually went out on his own, but this time he carried with him the potion and left in his room a letter for his parents, explaining that he wouldn’t be coming home for the following week; obviously he didn’t explain the exact reason behind his disappearance, only that he had something important to do.  
He was aware that such a message would only worry them more than ever, but he couldn’t make up the courage to tell them.  
“Leaving the castle to follow a crush… Really, what a good prince am I, acting like this.” he thought bitterly.  
He had never been like that. Not once he forgot his duties, always being the perfect prince and son.  
But that time, for someone he just saw for a handful of minutes, he was ready to leave everything for a whole week, without a notice except a letter.  
“I’m sorry mother, father…”  
Once he reached the sea, he contemplated the flask he bought the day before, remembering Citra’s words: the effect was almost immediate, so he had to be sure to already be in the water when he drank it.  
Maybe he should undress too, he was sure his clothes would be really uncomfortable when he had to swim. He quickly took them off, hiding them between the rocks, but he couldn’t find the heart to leave his sword. Purple Lightning, this was its name, was a gift from his father, which he got from an old friend, or so he often told.  
“It’s enchanted with magic, I doubt some sea water could damage it.”  
Finally he stepped into the water and, after a deep breath, he drank the potion in one gulp.  
True to what Citra said, the transformation started instantly. And not in a nice way: he felt a sharp pain throughout his body and the legs suddenly gave out, causing him to submerge.  
Seconds later, though they appeared way longer to Lasswell, the pain disappeared as it started, but he found himself in a new, terrible problem: he couldn’t breathe!  
He struggled to swim and reach the surface, but his new tail was harder to control than he expected, and the increasing panic didn’t help at all.  
“So I’m gonna drown like this? What a stupid way to die…”  
Just when he was resigning to his fate, a pair of hands grabbed him and pulled him upwards.  
As soon as his head was out of the water, the young man took a deep breath, then proceeded to cough uncontrollably, his lungs and throat on fire.  
When the coughing calmed down, the one who saved him asked: -Ohi, are you alright? What happened?-  
Lasswell looked up to see the other one’s face, finding a pair of familiar bluish-green eyes staring back at him, worried.  
It was him! The one merman he wanted to meet so much he nearly drowned was the one who saved him! And he was so close…the young man thanked the gods that his face was already flushed.  
-What happened? Are you hurt?- the merman asked again.  
Lasswell opened his mouth to answer but, to his horror, no sound came out, and not because of the surprise: it seemed that his own voice, just like his legs, had disappeared.

### Bonus (few days in the future)

-Sis, did you take one of the mermaid potions?- Sakura asked while checking the shelf of her creations.  
She had the same hair and eyes as her sister’s but, even though she was nearly twenty, her body was still that of a child of barely half her actual age. This was a consequence of an accident that happened during an experiment years before, to which she still hadn’t been able to find a remedy. Not that she tried anymore: she ended up enjoying her condition, especially when it earned her sweets from shops and stalls at the market.  
-Yes, I sold it a few days ago.- Citra answered -A boy came in looking for a way to go underwater, that was perfect.-  
-You did what?!- Sakura couldn’t believe her ears -That wasn’t for sale! I’m still experimenting it, it’s not safe! That boy could die if something’s wrong with it!-  
She had to do something, but what? Citra said she sold it days before, he could have already used it. Still, she could still try and find him, hoping the worst hadn’t happened.  
-What was his name?-  
The older sister thought for a moment, then: -I don’t know, he didn’t say it.-  
-At least do you remember how he was?-  
-Really handsome.- this time, the answer was immediate, then she specified -He was really tall. Had long black hair and light blue eyes. Oh, and he carried a sword with a white handle on his back.-  
After hearing that description, Sakura paled in an instant, then she murmured: -We’re dead…-  
-What?- Citra was dumbfounded.  
-That was the prince! If my potion killed him, I bet we’ll be the next ones to die.- the younger sister yelled -How could you not recognize him?-  
-It’s not like I expected the prince of Hess himself to come to our shop, I didn’t even think it could be him!-  
Sakura sighed, pacing up and down the laboratory, then forced herself to calm down: she shouldn’t be that dramatic, she couldn’t know if the prince really died or if someone could find them if that happened. Maybe her potion worked perfectly, for once.  
-Ok, maybe it’s not that bad…maybe he’s fine…- she said in the end -But still, be ready to leave if anything happens!-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo...it could have ended really badly for Lasswell. Good thing one merman was ready to run (or swim?) to save his life. But they met! Yay!  
> And the little bonus scene in the end...I had it in mind for some time and just had to write it XD (Sakura is the mature sister between them, I'm sure of it u.u)
> 
> I hope you liked this new chapter, I don't know when I'll be able to write the next one tho ^^" and, as always, let me know if there are some errors in my english


	3. III - Learning

-So…you mean you come from the land?- the merman asked perplexed, and Lasswell nodded: he was trying to explain through gestures what brought him there and why he had nearly drowned.  
At first he hadn’t planned to tell him the truth as soon as he met him. He already came up with a story in which he lost his way home, but he had to scrap the idea: how could that explain why he was unable to breathe underwater?  
-And…someone turned you into a merman?- the other inquired further.  
That wasn’t exactly what Lasswell tried to explain, but it wasn’t too far from reality.  
“Except, that someone is me…” he thought to gesture, but the other one approached him without warning, then swam around him and observed him closely. A little too close for Lasswell’s heart.  
-I have to say, whoever transformed you did an amazing job, I wouldn’t have guessed you were not a merman if you didn’t tell me.-  
It seemed the potionist was really good at her job if her potion could trick even a real merman. Still, something had to have gone wrong since his voice was missing and he was unable to breathe under the sea.  
-By the way, the name’s Rain.- the other one said with a grin -And you are…?-  
Lasswell opened his mouth by reflex, but how was he supposed to answer? He still tried to tell his name, hoping that the merman could understand from his lips, but with no success.-  
In the end, Rain chuckled: -That’s not an easy one… How about I call you Blue? Like the color of your head fins.-  
Hearing that not-so-creative name, Lasswell couldn’t help himself from laughing briefly, then nodded to Rain’s delight.  
“I hope I can get my voice back…” he still thought “It’s cute, but I don’t want to be known by that forever.”  
-Perfect! Then Blue it is!- the merman said excitedly, then grabbed his hand and pulled him -Now come with me!-  
And submerged.  
Lasswell panicked and immediately freed himself from the merman’s grasp: he didn’t want to repeat the experience from before. Once was enough.  
-What is it? Something’s wrong?-  
The prince of Hess nodded, pointing his nose, then the water and shook his head.  
At first Rain looked confused, but in a moment he understood and laughed: -You don’t breathe with your nose in the sea, we have gills for that. You too.-  
He pointed at his own neck, where he had what seemed like a couple of cuts on each side; with one hand – those webbed hands so strange to see on himself – he felt the same place, finding the same cuts as Rain’s.  
After a few seconds, he made up his mind and dived…only to emerge before long, taking a deep breath: even knowing he had to use gills, he still seemed not to know how to.  
-You can’t do it?-  
Lasswell shook his head, sighing, and Rain closed his eyes, pensive. Only a moment passed before his face lit again: -Then maybe we could try this! First, inspire and keep your breath.-  
The black-haired man obeyed.  
-Now pinch your nose and go down a little, just to have your gills under the water, and expire without using your mouth and nose.-  
The prince executed once again and was surprised to feel the air passing through a way it never did.  
Rain continued to instruct: -And now try to breathe in through there.-  
The first time, this whole process managed to just leave him panting. It took him few tries to finally being able to breathe without using his nose.  
-You did it, Blue! That’s great!- rejoiced the merman with a wide smile, once again closing the distance between them and seizing Lasswell’s hand -Now we can go! I’ll show you how it is under the sea, and then we’ll find someone who can bring you back as you were before.-  
The prince could have told him that such a thing wasn’t necessary, that after seven days the effect of the potion would wear off…but what if Rain, after learning that, thought he didn’t need his help anymore and abandoned him?  
No, he didn’t want that! He managed to be together with him sooner than he expected and now he wanted to spend that whole week with the merman, to stay by his side and to keep hearing that laughter so beautiful that made his heart flutter.  
At that thought, his chest felt warmer and his lips curved in a spontaneous smile.

They started their journey swimming slowly and accelerated little by little as Lasswell got used to his tail. It was only after it became easier for him to be in the water that he finally noticed how much his body changed: other than the gills and the blue tail, that turned purple at the extremity just like Rain’s red one turned yellow, a thin membrane had grown between his fingers and fins behind his hears, the same that he took for “a head accessory” the first time he saw Rain.  
Meanwhile, the blond merman kept talking: about how the life in the sea was, or about some accident that happened when he was little, or even about how his parents punished him after knowing that he went to the shore again and he couldn’t go outside for one week.  
-They say it’s dangerous for us to be there, we don’t have any way to fight out of the water if there’s the need.- he explained -Well, they’re right, but I never found anything dangerous there. Do you have monsters on the land?-  
The sudden question surprised Lasswell, so lost in Rain’s voice that it took him some moments to respond with a nod.  
-Oh…- the merman was astonished for a little while, then laughed -Then I guess I was lucky to never encounter one.-  
“Very lucky” Lasswell thought “Tho I guess there aren’t many lately…”  
That topic made him curious too: how did the mermen defend themselves under the water?  
It wasn’t easy to ask such a question: he tried to mimic various things, starting with slashing a sword and including punching before him. At last, Rain caught what he was trying to say.  
-You’re asking how I fight, right? I’ll show you.-  
He extended a hand in front of him which, soon after, started glowing red and a ray of the same color extended from it in a ray longer than his arm; instantly, the water began to whirl around the light at increasing speed. Lastly, Rain proceeded to slash it down – it followed his movement very swiftly – against some seaweeds nearby, cutting them neatly.  
-This is how we do it.- he said then, proudly, while the light disappeared -What about you? How do you fight on land?-  
That was an easy one to answer, even without a voice: Lasswell grabbed Purple Lightning and extracted it from its scabbard, then directed it towards the same seaweeds as Rain. He expected the resistance of the water to hindrance his slash, instead the sword cut down with no problem, as if there was air around him. More unexpected, however, was the light blue glow emitted by the blade as he swung it.  
-That feels like our sea magic!- exclaimed Rain -Let me see.-  
And quickly reached out to grab the blade, giving Lasswell little time to block his hand and instead guiding it where he wouldn’t cut himself. That made it really clear that the merman never saw a sword before.  
-It really is enchanted with sea magic! Did you know it?-  
The prince shook his head: he new Purple Lightning was more than a normal sword and it was enhanced while it was forged, but…sea magic? How was that possible?  
Rain continued to investigate: -Who gave it to you?-  
It took Lasswell some effort to answer this through gestures and mouthing the word “father”. And it took the other a while to understand.  
-Someone…dear to you? Like a brother? No…your parents, maybe? Father or mo…? Ok, so it was your father.- he finally guessed -And where did he…?-  
He suddenly interrupted his question and looked around, serious; a moment later, Lasswell too noticed the strange figures approaching and surrounding them: a bunch of creatures that looked like humanoid fish, with pale blue skin and sharp teeth.  
-Ugh, Sahagins…I hate these.- Rain complained, looking more annoyed than worried while the same red light as before generated from his hand, then grinned at the other one -Well, Blue, it seems we’re gonna see right now who’s better at fighting.-  
Lasswell couldn’t help but sigh with a smile at that remark, letting a series of tiny bubbles escape from his mouth, and readied his stance as best as he could without legs: he didn’t intend to make a poor impression of himself in front of Rain, not after he saw him nearly drowning.  
Tightening the grip on the handle, he launched himself to the assault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems Lasswell would have been in quite some trouble had he been alone, right? Good thing Rain was there, really happy to help.
> 
> Thanks for reading the chapter, i hope you enjoyed it. And, as always, don't be afraid to let me know if there are mistakes ^-^


	4. IV - Knowing each other...and someone new

-You were amazing, Blue! You’re really great at fighting!-  
When they resumed the journey after their battle against the Sahagins, Rain was ecstatic and couldn’t stop complimenting Lasswell, whose cheeks felt warmer and warmer with every single word.  
He shook his head, pointing his tail and then mimicking two legs walking with his fingers.  
-You’re saying you’re better on land, right? Yeah, this was actually your first time fighting here…and yet you’re already so good! I bet you’re the best warrior on land, if this is how you do when you’re not used to!-  
The blush spread to all of Lasswell’s face, which felt on fire despite being in the water. Such a praise was too much for his heart to handle.  
“Don’t make me fall for you even harder than I already have.”  
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, then pointed at Rain and tried to tell him how good his fighting was too.  
-Me? I know, everyone says I’m a natural talent.- he laughed -Still, I don’t think I’d be able to be like you if I ever fought on land.-  
He went on for quite a while talking about himself: how he trained since a young age and how, more often than not, he escaped from those boring lessons. Always with a grin on his face.  
Then, before long, he stopped and looked upwards: -It’s getting dark, I guess we’ll have to spend the night out…-  
He didn’t seem worried about it, giving off the impression that he already experienced a similar situation…and maybe he truly had, considering everything he told up until that moment.  
As if to confirm Lasswell’s thought, Rain guided him without hesitation to a well-hidden cave, showing how well he knew that area.  
Inside, the cave was so wonderful that it left Lasswell staring at it with marvel: all around him, above and below too, the rock was constellated with more crystals than he could count, some smaller than his fingertips, others larger than his arms, all glowing of a bluish light that illuminated the space.  
-We can stay and sleep here.- affirmed Rain with a smile -These crystals keep the monsters away, we’ll be safe for the night.-  
Lasswell nodded, still looking around with eyes full of wonder.  
-Beautiful, right?- the merman asked, to which the other one agreed with another nod -And I just noticed, your eyes are the same color of the crystals.-  
“…are you doing this on purpose?” thought the prince of Hess, once again blushing hard because of the young merman’s statement. He had a week before the effect of the potion ran out, would he be able to survive Rain’s compliments?  
The blond merman didn’t seem to notice his reaction and started explaining how he found that cave few years before when, one day, he wandered too far from home and couldn’t make it back before dark; luckily, he discovered that place and was able to wait safely for the morning to come.  
-I don’t know how it is on land, but here it’s way too dangerous to go out at night.- he said in the end -There are more monsters around, and many stronger than those you can find during the day. Even with the two of us, it would be very difficult to take them down.-  
That seemed a really huge problem, one Hess never had to deal with ever since Lasswell could remember. Sure, at night monsters were fiercer and more numerous, but it wasn’t so bad that someone as capable as them would be in danger.  
-Is it like that there too, Blue?- Rain asked.  
Lasswell shook his head, trying as best as he could to explain that monsters weren’t that much of a problem and people didn’t have to fear going out at night.  
-Must be nice, then. I’m really curious to see how it is there.-  
They chatted like that a little longer…well, actually it was Rain the only one chatting, his voice filling the cave as if it was the only sound in the whole world. One that Lasswell would never tire of listening.  
When the two of them lay down, both tired because of all the excitement of the day, Rain fell asleep in an instant, while the other young man spent long minutes staring at him. He appeared even more handsome in the light of the crystals, and Lasswell couldn’t help but to reach out and caress his hair.  
“So soft!”  
Then he got a little closer to him. Not much, just enough to lightly touch his hand as if it was unintentional, a contact that managed to spread warmth through his body.  
He fell asleep with a smile, hoping for that night to last forever.

The following morning, Lasswell was woken by some fast movements of the air around him…actually, of the water, as he remembered an instant later.  
He opened his eyes and was greeted by the water whirling around a long and thin ray of blue light; behind it, a merman with short blue hair was staring menacingly at him with green eyes.  
-Who are you? What are you doing here?- he asked, his tone of voice low and threatening.  
-Elle, leave him alone! He didn’t do anything to me, I told you!- Rain complained, swimming in between Lasswell and the newly come merman.  
-We’ll see about that, Your Highness.- the latter said, turning his attention back on the black-haired man -So, what were your intentions with the prince?-  
Even if Lasswell had his voice, he still wouldn’t have been able to respond to that question.  
Highness? Prince? Was he talking about Rain?  
Shocked, he stared at him, who laughed embarrassedly: -I’ll tell you later.-  
-Well?- insisted Elle, his gaze shifting between the two.  
-He can’t talk, so stop asking him. I’ll explain.- Rain answered and proceeded to tell him everything that happened the day before, from him saving Lasswell to them spending the night in that cave.  
Elle didn’t seem very convinced after that, but at least he dissipated his ray of sea magic, allowing Lasswell to finally get up from the floor.  
-So you were taking him to the castle?- questioned the blue-haired merman.  
Rain nodded: -I’m sure Folka can help him, she’s the best with magic!-  
-But my mother isn’t there, remember? She went with the king and queen to the other kingdoms, I doubt she’ll be back before few days.-  
-Oh right…I forgot that.- Rain looked dejected for a moment, then he went back to his usual smile -Then I’ll ask Luka. She’s great too.-  
After that, the three of them resumed the journey towards the castle, Elle showing the way, the other two a little behind his light blue and white tail. Meanwhile, Rain explained that he was the only prince and heir to the throne of the kingdom of Aldore.  
-It’s not like I wanted to keep it a secret, I just didn’t think it mattered.- he justified -And…well, I actually sneaked out of the castle yesterday, not really a princely behavior…-  
Lasswell nodded, still in disbelief: he would have never guessed that Rain was a prince like himself, he was so carefree and without worries!  
-But I didn’t lie to you. I’ll help you go back, no matter what!- he continued, his smile bright as the first time Lasswell saw him.  
He nodded once again, smiling back: he never doubted that, somehow he had always been sure that Rain would have kept his promise. That could very much be because of how much he loved him.  
-I hope you won’t put aside your duties as a prince once again, Your Highness.- replied Elle, glaring at him.  
The other merman grinned: -I won’t, don’t worry.-  
Even though Elle seemed to be just a knight, at least in Lasswell eyes, he talked to Rain in such a casual manner that it would have been impossible to tell who the prince was between them, hadn’t Elle called Rain by his title.  
Such a close friendship was something Lasswell had never been able to experience.  
It took them around a couple of hours to reach the castle, which had on the prince of Hess the same effect the cave had had the night before: he stopped to stare at it, agape and marveled. It wasn’t anything like the castles he always saw on land, built with massive bricks and with walls and towers all around, but a huge rocky formation, hollowed out and sculpted in what appeared as pillars and crags; big and small entrances opened on various levels and on the exterior shined the same crystals that filled the cave they left few hours before.  
-Welcome to Aldore, Blue. What do you think? You like it?- Rain asked.  
How could he not like it? It was amazing, like nothing he ever saw in his whole life!  
The blond prince laughed and grabbed his arm: -Come, I’ll show you around.-  
-Not so fast, Your Highness.- Elle stopped him -First of all, my brother wanted to have a word with you as soon as you came back.-  
For the first time, Lasswell saw Rain stiffen and his face pale in the blink of an eye.  
-And don’t try to swim away…-  
-I know, I know…I wouldn’t get far now anyway.-  
So Elle guided them in a great hall, apparently the throne room, where a couple of mermen were discussing. One of them had a tail of the same colors of Elle’s and hair of a lighter shade.  
-Brother, we’re back.- called the knight, approaching him.  
If a glance could kill, Rain would have been dead as soon as that merman turned to look at him, crossing his arms. He didn’t say anything, but Rain shivered.  
-Nichol, I…-  
-If you don’t have a valid excuse for sneaking out yesterday morning without notify anyone, staying away from the castle all day and night and neglecting your duties as a prince, please don’t speak.- the other interrupted him, his tone way too calm compared to his expression.  
And Rain actually became silent.  
“This isn’t going to end well for him…” Lasswell thought, feeling a little conflicted: that merman, Nichol, had all the reason to be that angry, he knew very well a prince couldn’t afford that much freedom; still, it was hard to see Rain that gloomy after watching nothing other his smiling face since they met.  
There was even a part of him that felt as if Nichol’s words were directed at him too for being there instead of his own castle on land.  
“Now I can’t do anything about this anyway. And I can’t help him either…” he resigned himself to wait, hoping that Nichol wouldn’t be too harsh on Rain. After all, it was only thanks to him that he was still alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still alive! It feels like ages since I updated this fic...at last i managed to continue writing :D  
> If you're asking: yea, in this universe, Folka is Nichol's, Elle's and Luka's mother. Why? Because I say so XD (just kidding, I just wanted them all to be in the fic and that it could make sense for them to be mother and children)  
> Also, Rain's flirting is totally unconscious...for now  
> Hope you enjoyed it, see you next time! ^-^

**Author's Note:**

> This is an au i came up some months ago, after a drawing from @tuensartpages on tumblr (i don't know how to link it here, help!! >o<) and i started writing after they drew my take on merman Rain (check their page, their drawing are amazing! Also, Rain winking in the chapter was because of their drawing ^^)
> 
> I don't have the slightest idea of how long this will come out, i just know the basic plot but who knows what (or when ^^") i will actually write...
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this first chapter and, as always, if you notice some error please let me know in the comments :)


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